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MLB Tickets - The Georgia Peach vs. Shoeless Joe vs. The Flying Dutchman
Which player was better, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Ty "The Georgia Peach" Cobb, or Honus "The Flying Dutchman" Wagner? Baseball historians and casual fans have argued over this question for decades. These three hitters represent the best and brightest that came out of the so-called "dead ball era," the period of baseball in the beginning of the 1900s when base hits were the name of the game. Who had the better nickname? Who was the more likable teammate? Who was hit by more pitches? Let's analyze at some of the overlooked equations that ought to go into solving this dilemma. The next time you get MLB tickets online you can talk with your neighbors in the stands about these legendary players.
Nicknames
The dead ball era was much more colorful when it came to nicknames. Nowadays you have nicknames like "A-Rod" and "Dice-K," ugly, uncreative mutilations of initials that are as impersonal as they are confounding. We're not naming the next Apple product here, we're trying to give these guys some character. Names were much better back in the day. Ty Cobb, who once said, ""When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch" is called "The Georgia Peach." True, he was born in Narrows, Georgia, but this nickname is more ironic than anything else- kind of like naming a sumo wrestler "Tiny."
"Shoeless" Joe got his nickname when he played an inning without a shoe because his feet were so blistered. You could have guessed that. Still, Shoeless is one of the most famous baseball nicknames of all time. "The Flying Dutchman" was a nickname bestowed upon Wagner because of his speed and his central European ancestry. "Shoeless" Joe is the winner in this category because the name has a story to go along with it.
Most Likable Player
Ty Cobb looses the congeniality competition hands down, cleats up. Cobb was famously hated by his rivals and loathed by his teammates, who more often than not were rooting against him. Babe Ruth said of Cobb, "(Ty) Cobb is a p---k. But he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit."Honus Wagner was basically the opposite of Ty Cobb. Historian and author Bill James said of Wagner, "He was a gentle, kind man, a storyteller, supportive of rookies, patient with the fans, cheerful in hard times, careful of the example he set for youth, a hard worker, a man who had no enemies and who never forgot his friends. He was the most beloved man in baseball before Ruth."
But Shoeless Joe is another story altogether. Although he was banned from baseball for his alleged involvement in the infamous BlackSox scandal, he was all but acquitted by the court of public opinion. There are several autobiographies that have come out suggesting that Joe Jackson was not involved in the fixing of games, and never received money to do so. His 12 hits, 3 doubles and 1 home run in the 1919 World Series sure doesn't appear like someone trying to purposely lose a game.
Hit By Pitch Rate
Sometimes getting hit by pitches is indicative of your batting style and sometimes it's indicative of opposing pitchers' attitudes towards you. Shoeless Joe averaged 7HBPs a season in his 13 years of pro ball. Honus Wagner also averaged 7 in a typical season. Ty Cobb, remarkably, only averaged 5.
About the Author StubHub has sponsored this article, which was written by Brent Warnken. Stubhub.com is one of the leaders in the business of selling MLB tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets, or even special events tickets.
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